Libyan dictator’s violent death depicts neighborhood in which Israel lives
October 21, 2011
By Ira SharkanskyIra Sharkansky
JERUSALEM — You’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. You’ve seen the
pictures of Muammar Qaddifi’s death.
Given the comments of Barack Obama and the analysis that appeared in
the New York Times, I’m not at that sure that enough American
understand what they have seen.
One must be careful. Not every Muslim is a blood thirsty, enthusiastic
killer of those considered to be enemies, all the while screaming “Allah Akba.”
(“God is great” is a close, if not exact translation). However, one of the
iconic videos of the intifada that began in 2000 shows a crowd in Ramallah
killing two Israeli reservists who made a wrong turn. The massacre took place in
a police station, more or less like the killing of Qaddafi. Prominent on the
video is an ecstatic killer waving his blood soaked hands to the cheering crowd
from an upstairs window.
That took place about five miles from here. Only a few hundred meters away
were two cases of near lynchings in the recent year of Jews not familiar with
the area, who made a wrong turn into Isaweea.
One has to wonder about American romanticism about Islam, the Middle East,
and the magic to be produced by Israeli concessions to Palestinians. Is it
simple ignorance about a distant land not well covered in schools and
universities? Does it reflect the persistence of a frontier mentality that is
nearly unique among western democracies in relying on a death penalty, long
prison terms, and one or more guns in most homes for the sake of self-defense?
Or is it nothing more than a cynical concern for the oil of places like Iraq and
Libya, and the hope that soothing comments about Islam will keep enough Muslims
quiet to allow business as usual?
None but the mindless should speak with confidence. Better to begin from
the epigram that it is easier to destroy than to construct. And to recognize
that while the Middle East (except for Israel’s little exception) looks dismally
similar, the reality is one of differences. Things among the Muslims are not so
different that we should expect anything like enlightenment in the near or
distant future, but details are important.
Egypt is beginning to look like more of the same, i.e., one military
autocrat replaced currently by a committee of generals, seemingly reluctant to
relinquish power. We’ll know more the day after tomorrow about Tunisia’s
election. Predictions are that the competition between more than 100 political
parties will see a large minority–perhaps a plurality–voting Islamic. Guesses
are that Syria’s current ruler has been sobered by the pictures of what happened
to Qaddafi. Assessments are that he will try even more severe repression rather
than personal flight or the convening of a representative convention to arrange
forgiveness and build an enlightened regime. News about Yemen, Somalia,
Bahrain, and Afghanistan are equally confused, are about as encouraging.
On this side of the street, we are preoccupied with pictures of Gilad
Shalit, and reports about his physical and emotional health.
One of the more than 450 prisoners already released in order to bring him
home (with another 550 scheduled to be let go in a month) has appeared before
school children in Gaza to urge them toward a life of martyrdom.
That’s the other side of the street.
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Sharkansky is proessor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University. He may be contacted at ira.sharkansky@sdjewishworld.com
